Rendezvous Trailside Wellness is an all-season, all-climate workout program.
Changing seasons offer new stimulation for your body, your mind, and your senses. The variety and fluctuation of the weather and seasonal changes keep you challenged, enhancing the pleasure of exercising outdoors.
Exercise and Heat
Many people love the feeling of working out in hot weather. The sun, the sweat, and the gorgeous scenery all make outdoor workouts appealing in the summertime. There is plenty of fun to be had in the sun, provided you’re aware of the risks. Heat is the most dangerous element you face in exercising outdoors. As the temperature rises, your body must work harder to keep your core temperature cool. This causes your system to use up fluids quickly. Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! This is your mantra during hot-weather exercise.
To exercise safely in hot weather, follow these guidelines:
• Hydrate: Before and after a workout, drink 8-10 ounces of water. For workouts longer than 50-60 minutes carry water with you.
• Dress to let your skin breathe: Wear reflective light or white colored, non-constrictive, breathable fabrics to maximize sweat evaporation: cottons and silks work, as do many synthetics and blends. Avoid non-breathable or rubberized garments
• Protect your skin: Use sweat proof sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher
• Wear sunglasses: Always wear UVA and UVB protected eyewear
• Protect your head: Wear a sun visor or cap in bright colors to shield your face and eyes
• Get out early: Exercise in the early morning before the intensity of the day’s heat. Even if it feels cooler at the end of the day, the ground will give off absorbed heat for hours
• Go gradually: Acclimatize gradually by exercising before 10 a.m. for a 15-minute session, then build up to 60 minutes over 3-4 weeks.
Tip – How hot is too hot? Temperature guidelines for hot-weather workouts.
• 80°-84°F: There is little danger of heat stress if your body is hydrated and acclimatized. Use discretion if you’re not acclimatized or if you’re not conditioned for exercise.
• 85°-87°: Avoid strenuous activity in the sun. Take adequate rests during your workout. Replace fluids during your workout. You are at greater risk if you are not acclimatized or if you are heat sensitive.
• 88° and above: Unless you are well acclimated, cancel all exercise during the extreme heat of the day.
Source: The American College of Sports Medicine
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